What Yoga Poses Are Best for
People Who Sit All Day?
Find Relief from Desk Job Discomfort with These Simple Yoga Stretches - By Beth Rush
Reading time: 4 minutes
These four yoga poses can help combat the aches and pains associated with sitting all day.
Being seated for eight hours or more is a common reality for desk job workers. Prolonged sitting keeps your knees and hips constantly flexed, tightening your muscles. Hunching over a screen can also cause shoulder and back pain.Â
Fortunately, yoga can help alleviate and prevent discomfort. Explore these yoga poses for people who sit all day.
1. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
This famous yoga pose offers a full-body stretch, making it ideal for desk job workers. It helps lengthen and strengthen muscles, especially the legs. It’s an excellent way to stretch the spine, arms and shoulders, which may feel cramped after sitting for long periods.
Instructions:
- Get on all fours, hands and knees pressed on the yoga mat.
- Curl your toes, lift your hips and straighten your legs. Your position should resemble an inverted letter V.
- Spread your hands wide and bring them in front of your shoulders.
- Be sure to draw your belly in and keep your toes pointed forward.
2. Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard Pose)
The lizard pose is a deep hip-opening posture that stretches your hip flexors, quadriceps and hamstrings. It can help eliminate low back pain and release hip tension caused by prolonged sitting or poor posture.Â
Instructions:
- Start in a downward-facing dog position, ensuring your feet are hip-width apart.
- Step your right foot to the outside edge of your right hand, slowly reaching a lunge pose.
- Place your left knee on the ground, keeping your back straight.
- Bring your elbows to the floor, placing your forearms on the mat. Keep your head relaxed.
3. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose)
A desk job entails a lot of typing and staring at the monitor, which can bring tension to the shoulders and back, especially if you don’t take frequent breaks to stand and stretch. Prolonged sitting can also strain your spinal discs, which may lead to musculoskeletal disorders. The Warrior II pose stretches the chest, shoulder and groin. It also strengthens the torso, spine and legs.
Instructions:
- Stand at the top of your mat, your feet hip-width apart.
- Inhale, then straighten your arms above your head, facing each other.
- Bring your left foot and arm to the back. Your right foot should face forward, with your toes pointing at the front of the mat.
- Slowly bend your right knee and line it over your ankle. Lower your bend and extend your left leg further to deepen the stretch.
- Extend your arms perpendicular to the floor. Keep shoulder blades down.
4. Kneeling Wrist Extensor Stretch
This practice is the ideal pose for people who sit all day, as it helps ease wrist tension. It’s a creative variation of tabletop pose that gives your arms, hands and wrists time to recover from hours of typing.
Instructions:
- Get on all fours. Place your hands on the mat underneath your shoulders.
- Turn your right hand clockwise until your fingers point toward your knees. Your wrist crease should reach toward the mat’s front.
- Lean back to feel a stretch, then switch to the left wrist.Â
- You can do both stretches at the same time.
The Importance of Yoga for People Who Sit All Day
Regular yoga helps warm up muscles and body parts that may hurt after sitting for eight hours at your desk. It can also benefit your heart health and reduce your risk of arthritis, chronic pain and balance issues.
Try Yoga Today
Ease aches and pains with consistent yoga practice. These postures will help you regain and improve your strength, flexibility and overall well-being.
